Everton face fight to keep Fellaini from clutches of Chelsea and PSG

The momentum keeps building and a reputation keeps burgeoning. Everton’s Champions League pursuit continues apace but their talisman’s form could lead to another chase entirely.

Plaudits have been flowing for Marouane Fellaini all season and they were many singing his praises again following his inspirational second half performance against Sunderland that helped turn a 1-0 deficit into a significant 2-1 win. Vanquished manager Martin O’Neill called him a 'proper player'.

Yet for all that David Moyes was thrilled Fellaini, whom he feels will mature into a marauding presence similar to Patrick Vieira, Everton's manager is aware the Belgian’s form will not have gone unnoticed to a wider audience.

Main man: Marouane Fellaini (centre) has attracted the attention of bigger clubs

England watch

PHIL JAGIELKA – Set the tone for Everton with a series of crucial interceptions and blocks; enters Sweden game in excellent form.

LEIGHTON BAINES – Some excellent passing and great energy but appeared to be carrying an injury in the second half.

LEON OSMAN – Involved in both Everton’s goals and his passing at times was outstanding. Deserves to play at some point in Sweden.

Fellaini has suitors around Europe – Chelsea and Paris St Germain showed an interest in the summer – and his talents would clearly fit neatly in many teams. Moyes, however, believes the prospect of leading Everton into the top four will render interest in him futile.

‘Everybody knows where he is and if they want to come and watch him that's up to them,’ said Moyes, whose side retained fourth place after goals from Fellaini and Nikica Jelavic cancelled out Adam Johnson’s strike.

‘It would be a big price on his head but we've got no problem in people coming and watching him. I'm not in the mood now to keep the fight going all the time because we've had to do it with a lot of players. We’ve sold some big ones but the club will always be bigger than any player, any manager.

‘But Felli knows what I think and I know what he thinks and I think more than anything he'd love to take Everton into the Champions League and that's what we'll try and achieve.’

In fine form: Fellaini helped Everton beat Sunderland on Saturday

So can they finish fourth come May? They will certainly be thereabouts. Everton’s football is vibrant but the win over a Sunderland side that O’Neill felt were desperately unfortunate showed their appetite to scrap remains insatiable.

‘We are an expansive team and I suppose we have conceded more chances than we have done in previous years,’ said Leighton Baines. ‘But we kept going when it was difficult and we got what we deserved in the end with perseverance.

‘The style might be changing but one thing you are never going to lose from an Everton is that spirit. That was a massive win. We had four draws coming into this and following it with a defeat would have changed the whole complexion. It was pleasing to grind it out.’

Top man: David Moyes continues to impress as Everton's boss

That Everton were able to grind it out owed as much to Sunderland’s profligacy as it did their tenacity. Had Stephan Sessegnon and Steven Fletcher showed greater poise in the opening exchanges the deficit they faced after Johnson’s goal would have been insurmountable.

‘Those were clear cut chances and I don't think Everton could have complained if we had been 3-0 up at half-time,’ said O’Neill. ‘But we will turn it around and the players ironically will have taken a lot of confidence from that. Some players have come back to form and that is important.

‘We lost a game against what I consider a very, very strong outfit. But we will come back. We should have won this game and we didn't. I don't think it is to do with balance. I think rather than drawing a statistic from, my own view is that we were unlucky.’